Hidden In The Open
by brokenwriter
Summary: Rewrite: Camie is quickwitted, pretty, and nice unfortunately she's opposite of her brother: dark, quiet, and shy. As Will screws up his friendship with the gang, Camie attracts the attention of someone who wonders what it's like to be invisible...


**Title: The Real Sky High**

**Written by: Brokenwriter**

**_Disclaimer:_** _I do not own ANY of theSkyHigh characters; I do, however, own all the other characters that are not originators to the movie._

* * *

Heroes & Sidekicks

"Wake up, sleeping beauty; it's the first day of Sky High!" Zach yelled in his sisters' ear.

They may have been born only minutes apart but they were nothing alike. Zach was loud and proud; you could spot his blinding personality from a mile away. Camie was just the opposite: dark and quiet; sometimes you couldn't see her if she was standing right in front of you.

"Someone's excited," Camie said, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Well, yeah," Zach was quite literally glowing in the darkness of her room. "Aren't you?"

He pulled open the blinds, letting in the bright sunlight.

"No – ow, my eyes turn off the damn light!" She covered her face with her hands.

"Weirdo," Zach muttered. He left her sitting up in her bad, blinking to adjust to the light.

An hour later, they were waiting at the street corner for the school bus. A punk girl wearing purple of all different shades walked up to them.

"You guys waiting for the freshman school bus?" She asked hesitantly.

"Yup, are you?" Zach replied stupidly.

"I think she answered that when she asked the question," Camie rolled her eyes.

"Oh, right, uh, hey, my name's Zach," He said. Camie could see him glowing from embarrassment.

"Magenta," the girl said, eyeing him wearily.

"Don't worry, you can just ignore him, everybody else does. My name's Camie, by the way."

Magenta smiled as the bus pulled up.

"Names?" The large bus driver demanded before they could take a step onto the bus.

"Magenta Vitz."

The bus driver – Ron Wilson – checked his list and nodded.

"Zach and Camie Braun," Zach pointed casually at Camie with his thumb. Ron looked behind the unusually bright boy, but there was nothing there.

"Don't hurt yourself, man, I'm here," Camie's voice came out of the empty space.

"Oh, all right then," Ron put away the list and closed the doors.

Camie followed her brother to the middle of the bus. She sat in the empty seat behind him.

Magenta had already seated herself in the seat behind Ron with a geeky kid who had thick glasses. They seemed to know each other.

At the next stop, Will Stronghold and Layla Hill embarked the bus. Camie didn't pay attention as Will embarrassed himself and then pried himself from Ron's worshipping grip. The bus started moving again as the couple made their way to find seats.

"Yo, Will. Hey, how you doin'?" Zach and Will high fived, "Hey Layla."

Will sat beside Zach and Layla sat with the now visible Camie.

"How was your summer?" Will asked after the friends finished greeting each other.

"To be honest, it was tough, man, T-U-P-H. I was seriously sweatin' it."

"Maybe if he knew how to spell…" Camie breathed just loud enough for Layla to hear.

"My dad going, 'Zach, I powered up before I started shaving,'" he imitated his fathers' voice. "It wouldn't have been so bad if Camie didn't rub it in my face."

"It's not my fault that I got my power before you did," Camie defended herself.

"Anyways, there I was, dude, halfway through august and… zip."

"Oh, so you – you don't have your powers," Will said, somewhat hopefully.

"Dude, you think I'd even show up if that happened?" Zach shook his head, "No. No, no. Woke up a few days ago and… BAM!" He slapped his hands together for effect. Layla and Camie exchanged looks.

"That's great," Will said. "So, what – what is it?"

"You have to wait and see, just like everybody else." Zach shot Camie a look that clearly said: '_don't tell anyone, or else_.' "But it's awesome, man. It's awesome."

Will looked at the girls and nodded in disbelief.

"Come on. It's not like you ever powered up in front of us."

"The highlighter does have a point," Camie stated.

The bus picked up the last student and Ron changed hats, "Next stop, Sky High!"

Everybody looked outside the windows as the bus went up a closed exit ramp.

"Where are we?" asked Layla.

All of a sudden, a safety bar appeared in front of every seat, locking them all in, and two straps crisscrossed over their torsos, securing them even more.

"Hang on back there!" Ron called over his shoulder, "We're going off-road."

The next thing anybody knew, they drove off the unfinished bridge. Everybody screamed as the bus fell. Then the bus jerked and morphed into a jet plane. Gliding smoothly – but quickly – among the clouds, the bus made its way to the floating school.

"There she is: Sky High; kept aloft by the latest in ant gravitational propulsion. She is in constant motion as a precaution against those who otherwise might have nefarious plans; her location supplied only to a few highly qualified individuals such as myself, Ron Wilson, bus driver."

"He really loves his job, doesn't he?" Camie said, smiling to suppress the gag reflex. After a rather bumpy landing, the students quickly filed off.

"Word of advice," Ron called out. "Don't miss the bus, 'cause the bus waits for no one. Except you, Will Stronghold!" Will turned to face him. "If you're running late, running early, or just want to talk…" Ron handed him a business card, "... give me a call."

"Thanks, Ron," Will said before running to catch up with his friends.

"Hey, Will, would you mind if I joined the 'Will Stronghold fan club' he's president of?" Camie asked. The others around them laughed. Nobody noticed that the voice had come out of thin air.

The freshmen bunched together, looking at the other, older students hanging around and going into the school.

"_Hello freshmen, don't be shy_

_Welcome newbies to Sky High_

_Juniors, seniors, all the rest_

_We're back to school_

_Sky is the best!_" All seven cheerleaders disappeared leaving one lone girl cheering.

"At least there's only one snobby cheerleader to avoid instead of seven," Camie said, still invisible.

All of a sudden, all the freshmen were herded together by something – or some_one_ – zooming around them at super speed. A porky senior skidded to a stop in front of them.

"Hey freshmen! Your attention please."

A thin boy wearing stripes did a back flip and landed beside his friend, showing off his super stretch abilities.

"I'm Lash, uh, this is Speed," He introduced himself and 'Speed'. "As representatives of the Sky High welcoming committee…"

"We'd be happy to collect that fifteen dollar new student fee," Speed finished. Lash stretched out his arm expectantly.

"Um, there was nothing about a new student few in the handbook," The nerdy looking orange kid – Ethan – said, adjusting his glasses.

"That's because there isn't one, genius," Magenta said.

"Okay, guys. Very funny. I'll take it from here," A pretty-looking senior wearing a light, pink sweater shooed the two bullies away.

She turned her attention to the group of freshmen. "Hey everybody. I'm Gwen Grayson, your student body president. I know you're all going to love it here at Sky High…" And then she started a really long speech that almost everybody listened to; then she led them to the gym for orientation.

A petite brunette woman was waiting for them. "Good morning. I am Principal Powers. On behalf of all the faculty and staff, welcome to Sky High."

"Yeah!" Zach burst out, clapping. Everybody looked at him with raised eyebrows and a few of the sniggered. He shut up and looked thoroughly embarrassed.

Principal Powers continued, "In a few moments you will go through Power Placement and your own heroic journey will begin."

"Power Placement?" Will asked, doubtfully.

"Sounds fascist," Layla stated.

"Power Placement: it's how they decide where you go," Ethan explained.

"There hero track or the loser track," Magenta elaborated.

"Th-Th-There's a loser track?" Will stuttered.

"You know: sidekick?" Camie said, now visible.

"I think the preferred term is 'hero support,'" Ethan corrected her.

"For now, good deeds and good luck; let the adventure begin," Principal Powers smiled. "Comets away!" She threw her hands in the air and turned into a comet. Away she went, leaving the freshmen staring after her in awe.

"What a dorky catch phrase," Camie and Magenta said at the same time; they grinned.

"Alright, listen up!" A man was standing in the middle of a riding platform. His knee socks and short shorts were very disturbing. "My name is Coach Boomer. You may know me as 'Sonic Boom' you may not. Here's how Power Placement is going to work: you will step up here and show me your power. And yes, you will do so in front of the entire class. I will then determine where you will be assigned: hero or sidekick." He said 'sidekick' like it was inferior.

"Now, every year there are a few students or, as I like to call them 'whiner babies' who see fit to complain about their placement. So let's get one thing straight: my word is law; my judgement is final, so there will be no whiner babies. Are we clear?"

"Yes, Coach Boomer, sir!" they all yelled in together.

"You! What's your name?"

"L-L-Larry," the small kid stuttered.

"Little Larry. Get up here!"

"What's humiliating him in front of everyone going to prove? This is so unfair," Layla whispered.

"If life were to suddenly get fair, I doubt it would happen in high school," Will said.

"Will you two stop underestimating everything?" Camie scolded them. They all watched Larry power up and turn into what can only be described as a rock monster.

"Car," Coach Boomer pushed a button and a car dropped onto the platform. Larry caught it and held it over his head. "Big Larry. Hero!"

"I guess he gives a new definition to 'all brawns and no brain,'" Camie said.

And the sorting began.


End file.
